


Twist of Fate

by phdmama



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Cat, Doctor Harry, Lawyer Louis, M/M, Meet-Cute, This was supposed to be a short thing, it got out of control, why do I do these things?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 04:30:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9640841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phdmama/pseuds/phdmama
Summary: A chance encounter with an opinionated cat seems likely to change Louis's life.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've been part of this [fic challenge](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/2017_hl_prompt_challenge/works) where we've been given a word prompt and each writer has written their own take on it. The most recent challenge was "cat" (all the fics from this prompt are [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/cat/works), go read them all!). Someone left the same reply on all of our fics, asking for a fic based on [this tweet](https://twitter.com/harryetIouis/status/829182318547906562). They seemed to want a longer fic and had some other requests that weren't going to happen, but we had a snow day today, and I had a funny image in my head and wrote it down, and well, now, here it is. HUGE thanks to [QuickedWeen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickedWeen/pseuds/QuickedWeen) and [waytoomanypeopleintheaddisonlee](http://archiveofourown.org/users/waytoomanypeopleintheaddisonlee/pseuds/waytoomanypeopleintheaddisonlee) for their look-see at it!
> 
> All mistakes are mine. Sorry I didn't write the 100K the anon wanted, but hey. It's a start!

Louis yawns and stretches as he steps out into the sultry heat of the late afternoon, eager to get home, get out of his suit, sit on the back deck and drink a beer before he heads over to Liam’s weekly Friday night cookout. It’s been a long week, with one of his most contentious trials going to court. As a public defender for the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Louis would be the first to admit that he is overworked and underpaid, and, to be fair, he does spend a lot of his time defending people who are entirely guilty of whatever crime they’ve been charged with. But sometimes, and this week was one of those times, he gets to use his fancy and high-priced law degree to do some good. To defend someone who is genuinely innocent, in this case a young, Black kid who’d been misidentified in a gang shooting in Dorchester. Louis had fought hard, and, here a grin spreads over his face as he remembers the moment in the courtroom, “We, the jury, find Michael Okereke, not guilty of the charges brought against him.”

Innocent. Michael had walked out of the courtroom a free man, and Louis would never forget the look on his father’s face as he had shaken Louis’s hand and whispered simply, “Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson.”

And Louis had answered in completely sincerity, “It was an honor, Mr. Okereke.”

But now, it is 5:00 on a summer Friday, and Louis is _not_ working this weekend, not at all. As he starts to walk to the T, he remembers that he’d actually driven in this morning and had managed to score a parking space, not only around the corner from his office, but also in the shade. “Yes!” he whispers in triumphant memory, and the taller man walking past him chuckles.

As Louis turns around and starts walking towards his car, the man ahead of him glances back and starts walking a bit more quickly.

Louis snickers and calls out, “I’m not stalking you, sir, I just forgot that I drove today, my car’s parked this way.”

The other man slows his frantic pace down a bit and smiles briefly back at Louis but doesn’t say anything. He is, Louis has to acknowledge, really fucking cute, even with his curls wilting in the heat. He is wearing a T-shirt with dress pants and shoes, his work shirt and jacket slung over his shoulder, while his tie is looped casually around his neck. Louis takes a moment to admire the spread of his shoulders under the thin white cotton, and the curve of his ass in his dark grey slacks.

The guy turns down the side street ahead of Louis and Louis sighs, he really is going to think Louis is following him.

He sees the man walking ahead of him stop suddenly, staring into a parked car with an angry expression on his face, and oh shit, that’s Louis’s car. What could there be about his Toyota Corolla that has this man in a rage? As Louis approaches cautiously, he can hear the man muttering angrily to himself as he yanks out his phone.

“Can’t believe, fucking asshole, leaving a cat in a car on a day like today, what the fuck.”

“Um,” Louis says carefully as he approaches the muttering man, hands up in a classic “Hey bro, I don’t want no trouble” gesture. “Is there something about my car that’s upsetting you?”

The man turns and Louis can’t help noticing, even as pissed off as this guy is, his earlier assessment of really cute was definitely an understatement.

“This is your car?” The man asks and for some reason, Louis flashes to that moment in court when he was cross-examining the prosecution’s best witness.

“Yeah,” he says, sure that his face is mirroring the confusion he’s feeling.

“Then care to tell me why the _fuck_ you would leave your cat in your car on a day like today? Do you have any idea how fucking _hot_ it gets in a closed car? You’re a fucking asshole! I’m calling animal control right now, and I hope for your cat’s sake, they fucking confiscate it. I’ll fucking take it myself.” The man is full-on ranting now, and Louis can’t get a word in until he raises his own voice.

“Dude, _dude,_ I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”

The guy stares at him and then points an accusatory finger to the interior of Louis’s car, which is a bit messy, so sue him, but doesn’t seem to warrant such wrath.

“I’m talking about your poor fucking cat!”

Louis stares at him baffled, and says, “I don’t have a cat.”

The man stares back at him, and Louis sees the confusion begin to cross his face and absently notes the remarkably chiseled jawline, and Jesus Christ, are those actually green eyes narrowed at him in anger? Yes, yes they are.

“Then what do you call _that_?”

Louis leans in to look into his car, catching a whiff of the guy’s cologne which is something dark and woodsy, and shoots a bolt straight to his groin. Then he stands up and says in bafflement, “I’d call that...a cat.”

For, sitting curled up in the driver’s seat is a small, fluffy, orange and white cat that is decidedly not Louis’s.

For a moment, he and the angry stranger stare at each other, and then as one, turn to look back at the cat in the car. Louis panics for a moment, thinking the cat is dead, but then notes the rise and fall of it’s sides, so it’s definitely breathing and just asleep, not dead and...why is it in his car?

“Why is there a cat in my car?”

As he walks around to unlock the door he gets a second shock, which is that the driver’s side window is open about 4”. He looks around to see if anything’s been taken, but as far as he can tell, everything is where it should be, except now there’s a cat too.

He opens the door, and the cat rolls onto its back, yawns and stretches out, flexing its tufty little paws and Louis can’t help the small coo that escapes from his mouth at the utter cuteness. Cute, that is, until he reaches down and the cat hisses and lashes out, leaving two shallow scratches across the back of his hand.

“What the fuck?” Louis gasps, affronted that this little ball of fluff has had the audacity to scratch him, in his own car no less.

The cat rises to its feet, arching its back in that that cats do, and then casually stands on its back legs and rests its front paws on the steering wheel, throwing a decidedly challenging look at Louis over its shoulder.

On the other side of the car, the man, who has been watching the proceedings through the window with great interest, bursts out laughing.

“I hope you don’t have anywhere to be, because it looks like this cat is going to borrow your car.”

Louis straightens up, and his eyes meet the other man’s over the roof of the car. “He scratched me!”

He can hear the offended tone in his voice, and the other man stops grinning. “Oh shit, man, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He reaches in to grab the cat again, who hisses back in a distinctly unfriendly manner, in response to which he snatches his hands back quickly.

“Hmmm.” Louis shuts the door without thinking, then steps back and around the car, so that he’s standing next to the other man. He looks at the scratches on his hand and jumps when the other man reaches out, pulling his hand up to give it a long hard look, absently-mindedly running a gentle thumb over the scratches.

“You’ll live,” the other man pronounces, and lets go, leaving Louis feeling momentarily bereft. It’s been awhile since he’s had someone hold his hand, and he misses those moments of casual contact.

“What are you, a nurse?” He jokes, shoving his hands into his slacks pockets and wondering how the hell he’s going to get the cat out of his car, get this guy’s number, and get home in time for Liam’s barbecue.

The guy grins, and Louis revises his hotness quotient up another few points, because shit, this guy has a smile that lights him up from the inside, and dimples like Louis’s never seen before. “Doctor actually, I’m a pediatric ER doc over at Cambridge Hospital.”

At that, Louis actually groans, because shit, hot, smart, and a fucking pediatrician? How is this even happening?

Without thinking, he says, “Ahh, that must be why I’ve never seen you, I don’t have kids,” and then wants to kick his own ass, because really?

The other man laughs, and holds out his hand. “I’m Harry, Harry Styles.”

Louis shakes it firmly. “I’m Louis Tomlinson, I’m a PD out of the Courthouse here. Do pediatricians know anything about getting cats out of cars?”

“Why, you got a hot date? Somewhere to be?” Harry raises one eyebrow, but Louis is no fool, he knows how the game is played, and when he licks his lips before replying and sees the way Harry’s eyes track the movement, he grins to himself.

“Nah, just a long week, I’m actually out of the office on time for once, was hoping to get home and have a beer before heading over to my friend Liam’s house for a cookout.”

“Ahh, a noble goal if I’ve ever heard one,” Harry nods wisely. “Well, let me see if I can help you out, I’d hate to stand in the way of a man and his cold beer on a hot day.”

“Be careful,” Louis says anxiously as Harry moves around and opens the car door again, but instead of hissing and striking out, the cat sees Harry and immediately drops to its side and rolls onto its back, presenting its fluffy belly for rubbing. Harry obliges, and Louis can hear the purring from where he’s standing.

“That traitor!” He is honestly a bit offended when Harry easily scoops the cat up. It’s wearing a collar, and Louis checks the tag which says, “My name is Melville. I’m not lost, just wandering. If you’re concerned, call 617-555-5678.”

“Should we call, do you think?” Louis asks after reading the tag out.

Harry says quickly, “Um, no, I don’t think so. I actually live in this neighborhood,” he gestures down the street to the row of brownstones, “And I actually, uh, I recognize this cat. I think he’s fine.”

The cat seems to agree, snuggled up in Harry’s arms with one of Harry’s very large hands rubbing firmly over his body. After another moment, Harry puts the cat down with one final scritch to his head. “Okay, Melville,” he murmurs, “Head home now, buddy,” and they both watch in silence as Melville trots determinedly off, heading down the sidewalk and then turning and disappearing between two buildings.

There’s an awkward moment of silence which they both break at the same time.

“Louis, I—”

“Harry, Do you—”

They both laugh and Harry makes a “go ahead” gesture, so, seizing his courage, Louis says, “Um, is there any chance you’d like to get a beer with me?”

A look of genuine regret crosses Harry’s face and he says, “Oh god, I’d actually love to, Louis but...I have plans with my friend.”

Friend. Plans with a friend. Louis can work with that, but just as he’s about to boldly ask for Harry’s number, Harry’s phone goes off, and when he sees the number, his face falls. “Shit, it’s work, I have to take this, I’m sorry, Louis.” He gives a weird half-wave and turns away, saying into the phone, “Dr. Styles, yes?”

Louis sighs, feeling deflated. It’s obviously not meant to be. Not that he, as a Harvard-trained lawyer, believes in something as fickle as _fate_ , he assures himself, as Harry moves off a bit and talks rapidly in a low, urgent tone. He sighs again, and then gives a wave to Harry, points at his car and shrugs.

Harry holds up one hand as if telling Louis to wait, but then his expression changes, and he focuses back on his call. “Shit, shit. Okay, I’m 10 minutes away, I’ll be right there. Keep him stable, I’m on my way.” He turns to Louis, “I’m so sorry, I’ve got to…”

“Go!” Louis waves and sees Harry turn and run back in the direction he’d just come from, still talking frantically into the phone. He watches Harry until he disappears around the corner and is lost from view.

Louis pulls into his driveway in Somerville, just as the AC in the car finally kicks in. With a grimace, he turns off the car and heads to his 3rd floor apartment. As he unlocks his door, a text chimes in on his phone and for a moment his heart leaps, thinking maybe it’s Harry, but then he remembers that, no, he did not succeed in getting Harry’s number, and in a city of over 100,000 people, he knows the odds of running into Harry again are slim, and honestly, showing up at his work would just be creepy.

He checks his phone, and it’s a text from Liam. _You still gonna make it tonight?_

He quickly texts back, _Yeah, just got home, gotta shower and change, I’ll head over after. Need anything? I’ll bring beer, let me know if you need anything else,_ and tosses the phone aside.

He feels better after a shower. He changes into shorts and a tanktop, and shoves his feet into sandals, it’s too fucking hot for anything else. He grabs his things, remembering the 12 of Shock Top he’d purchased for the gathering, and heads back to Cambridge to Liam’s.

Liam and Zayn have the first floor of a double decker, with a large back porch and an actual yard. With a shock, it occurs to Louis that Liam is actually only a few blocks from where Harry had said that he lived. Louis shakes his head as he gets out of the car. He can’t help but still feel a bit...deflated from the whole thing. It had looked so promising, hadn’t it? But now there’s no way.

He heads around to the back, knowing the whole gang will already be outside. A chorus of greetings goes up as he makes his way into the yard, and he calls out hellos.

“How goes the good fight, darling?!” Perrie exclaims as she gives him a huge hug and a kiss. “I’ve missed you!”

“It was a big week,” Louis grins, “Let me just go put this,” he holds up the 12 pack, “in the cooler, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

When he gets up onto the deck, he sees a guy he doesn’t know rummaging in the cooler Liam always keeps well-stocked for these gatherings. This guy is about his own height though a bit stockier, with mostly brunette hair, just the ends are platinum blond. Huh.

The guy looks up, he’s got cheerful blue eyes and an open smile that immediately draws Louis in.

“Hey there,” he greets him affably, “Mind if put this in there?”

“Ahh, Shock Top,” the other man says enthusiastically, his Irish accent evident. “Sure thing, mind if I grab one?”

“Not at all, that’s what they’re there for. I’m Louis, by the way, Louis Tomlinson, Liam and I grew up together.”

The other man offers a firm handshake. “I’m Niall, I just moved in upstairs and Liam invited me along to get to know some folks. I just moved here from Colorado.”

“Awesome, the more the merrier! What brings you to Cambridge?”

The man grins as he opens his beer. “I’m going to be starting over at the Courthouse on Monday as a public defender.”

Louis stares at him. “No way! Did you tell Liam that?”

Niall grins, “Yeah, he said he’s got a buddy who’s already there - that you, by any chance?”

Delighted, Louis grins back. “Sure is, man, welcome to the team!”

Over the next hour, they spend some time getting to know each other, discovering a similar sense of humor.

Niall is laughing at one of Louis’s stories about the office when his phone chimes, and when he pulls it out, his face lights up.

“Awesome! My friend Haz, from college, lives in the neighborhood, Liam said it’d be cool if he came over, he’s on his way.”

“Excellent.” Louis leans back in his chair, a pleasant glow flowing through his veins. He loves that feeling when meeting a new person with whom he just clicks. He can already tell that Niall is one of those guys who is the center of the slime mold, but when he says as much, Niall looks confused.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know, that slime mold they found in like, Oregon or somewhere, that’s the largest living organism? You’re the center of your slime mold, I bet. You bring people in wherever you go.”

Niall gives a delighted cackle but doesn’t deny it, and Louis points his beer at him in satisfaction as he says, “Slime. Mold. Told ya.”

Niall glances behind him and his face lights up. “Haz, m’boy! You made it!” He leaps and Louis turns in his chair to find…

“Harry?” He’s standing without realizing how he got there, taking two steps forwards in delight as he watches Niall fling himself into Harry’s arms.

Harry looks up and freezes. “Louis? Oh my god, what are you doing here?”

Louis bursts out laughing, feeling a warm sense of _rightness_ flooding through him. “What am _I_ doing here, Liam is my friend from childhood, what are _you_ doing here?”

“My plans,” Harry stutters out, “They were with Niall, since he just moved here, I didn’t feel like I could bail…”

Niall is watching the two of them with interest and unbridled delight. “Wait a minute, there’s a story here, isn’t there. _Spill!”_

Their laughter has attracted Liam’s attention and he wanders over to hear the tale as well.

By the end of the evening, Louis is sure of exactly one thing, which is that his world has been irrevocably changed by Harry’s entrance into it. They’ve spent the night orbiting each other, even as they’d socialized with others. They’d been drawn to each other over and over again, and now, it’s getting late, and Louis is pretty sure things in his life are never going to be the same. And he couldn't be happier about it.

At one point he gets a chance to ask Harry about the call that had pulled him away. Harry grimaces, “Yeah, one of my patients took a turn for the worse, but we were able to get him stabilized and into surgery. He’ll be okay.” The relief in his voice is palpable and Louis swoons just a bit inside at the obvious care Harry has for his patients.

He’s saying his goodnights to Zayn and Liam, when Harry approaches.

“Hey,” he says to Liam and Zayn, “I just wanted to say thanks so much for having me over tonight, and for being so welcoming to Niall,” and all four of them glance over to where Niall is currently leaning in to whisper something to Perrie, who’s giggling and flushed. “Not, you know, that he needs a lot of help getting settled, but he’s one of my oldest friends.” They shake hands all around and Louis can’t help but feel a glow of pride at Harry’s impeccable manners.

They move a bit apart from Liam and Zayn, who turn to say goodnight to their other guests.

“Can I...walk you home?” Louis says casually, heart pounding in his ears,

Harry’s face glows with delight. “I’d love that, Louis.” They head out the gate, and Harry leads the way down the street. They walk in silence for a bit, and Louis finds himself moving closer to Harry, brushing his hand with the tips of his fingers.

Harry carefully slips his hand into Louis’s, staring determinedly straight ahead, and Louis grins, gives Harry’s hand a quick squeeze, and then shivers at the responding squeeze Harry gives him.

“So,” Louis clears his throat, “I don’t want to overstep anything here, but...I’d really like to take you out. On a date. With me.” His face flames but he perseveres. Harry is worth a little embarrassment, and he wants there to be no question of his intentions.

Harry keeps staring ahead but his dimples flash as he says primly, “I would very much like to go on a date, with you, Louis Tomlinson.”

Louis exhales in relief as Harry stops at a set of steps and says, “This is me. Um, would you like to come up for a bit, a cup of tea?”

Louis looks at him and Harry grins, “Just tea, for now. I’m actually beat, it was a tough day, but I don’t want to say goodnight quite yet. Please, Lou,” and Louis’s heart thrills at the nickname, “Please come up for a bit?”

Louis nods, and after Harry gets the front door unlocked, grabs his hand again as they walk up to the second floor and Harry gets his apartment door unlocked. As they move into the apartment and Harry flips on a light, there’s a thud and a curious, “mrrrp?” and a small, fluffy, strangely familiar orange and white cat strolls into the living room.

Harry freezes as Louis stares at the cat, and then turns to look at him curiously. “Um, Harry? Is that Melville? From this afternoon?”

Harry nods sheepishly as Louis crouches down and cautiously holds his hand out for Melville to sniff, who gives him a little lick and then imperiously bumps his head against Louis’s hand, demanding scritches.

“Yeah, I just, I’m so sorry I didn’t say anything, Louis. I didn’t even realize it was him at first when I saw him in your car, and then, god, I was just embarrassed because I was so mad.”

“You really were,” Louis stands up and moves into Harry’s space, crowding him back against the wall. “You were so worried about my cat, all fired up.” He frames Harry’s body with arms, and leans in, “I was confused, aroused and impressed, all at the same time, Harry.” Louis leans in closer, watching Harry’s eyes widen as he whispers, “I wanted to kiss you right there. I wanted to kiss you when I saw you at Li’s. I want to kiss you now, Harry, may I? Please?”

Harry’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, and he’s barely breathed out “Jesus yes, Louis, please—” when Louis crashes their mouths together. It’s too much, too fast, to overwhelming for a first kiss, and Louis can’t stop himself from falling into Harry as they kiss, frantically at first.

After a few moments, his head spinning, Louis backs up a step. “Fuck,” he breathes and catches a glimpse of Melville watching them curiously.

Harry has brought his hand up to his mouth and he’s staring wide-eyed at Louis. “Oh my god, Louis,” he whispers, “That was…”

“Incredible.” Louis agrees. They gaze at each other in silence and then the moment is broken by Melville wandering over, bumping against Louis’s legs as he meanders to Harry and demands to be picked up.

“So,” Louis says softly, “Can I get your number? It feels like it’s meant to be. When you had to rush off this afternoon, I was so disappointed, but I got a second chance with you, Harry, and I am not going to miss it.”

Harry blushes and grins, and they exchange numbers.

“I think,” Louis says softly, “I’ll take a raincheck on that tea?” He can see the exhaustion on Harry’s face now, and doesn’t want to overstay his welcome.

Harry nods. “I should get to bed, but, um...can I call you tomorrow? I’m not doing much this weekend. I’d really like to see you, Louis.” His large hand moves up to cup Louis’s face and then he leans in and kisses Louis gently. “Like, very much a lot.”

A bit dazed, Louis says, “That, yeah, that sounds good.”

There’s several more kisses before he finally makes his way out of the apartment and down the stairs, back out into the night. As he makes his way back to his car, he contrasts this walk with his walk after work, just a few hours ago. In the pressing heat of the summer night, he can’t help feeling like he’s on the verge of something momentous, like the earth has shifted in its axis and that feeling he’d had earlier, that nothing would ever be the same? He knows now, it won’t be, it can’t be. Not now that he knows Harry is in the world.

And he couldn’t be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Please, as always, these are works of fiction, meant to entertain. Please don’t break the 4th wall or post anywhere else!
> 
> Feel free to come say come say hi on Tumblr! If you enjoyed this, the rest of my stuff can be found here!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and if you feel so inspired, feel free to leave a kudos or a comment, they all make my day brighter!
> 
> Even better, if you feel so moved, here's the [rebloggable post](http://phd-mama.tumblr.com/post/157032398913/twist-of-fate) on Tumblr!


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